Weekly, if not daily we are having conversations with business owners in various regions throughout NZ struggling with last minute cancellations, left with spaces they cannot fill. Sounding familiar to you too?
Here are some tips around how you can prevent as many cancellations, and when you have cancellations, what you can do to create revenue and ensure staff are using the time efficiently.
Firstly, we do want to point out there are going to be true, genuine reasons for cancellations that will always happen.
Tips around limiting cancellations:
- Have a cancellation policy in place and implement this.
- Share your cancellation policy clearly on your website, post on social media quarterly and have as policy pop up when booking online. Ensure staff mention the cancellation policy when creating a booking in person or over the phone.
- Ensure the team are familiar with your policy and have the confidence to enforce it when needed.
- Have a booking fee, even if for a starting point it’s for longer appointments.
When you receive last minute cancellation:
- Have a list of local clients that would be available certain days to fill a last-minute cancellation, these treatments can be provided at a discounted price.
- If no one is able to fill that appointment from your list, post the appointment space on your social platforms.
If appointments can’t be filled, how can the time be productive with staff and even revenue producing?
- Time to upskill on brands, focus on weaknesses – utilise the time with education
- Create revenue through reaching out to customers to create future bookings, inform them of a new product launch, new treatment, promotional activity.
- Follow up with new clients, how did they find their treatment, have they used the samples, did they want us to put a product aside for them.
- Create an eye catching merchandising display
- If suitable, create social media content and schedule some posts